A British woman who added "Skywalker" to her name has been refused a passport application and told her name now infringes upon a trademark.

The woman, Laura Elizabeth Skywalker Matthews, from Southend, 29, said she'd never had a problem before - and that the name had been accepted for bank cards and her driving licence. But the passport office outright rejected it, and said she may have to use an old signature on a new form. Skywalker said she'd officially changed her name several years ago as a joke.

Britain's Home Office asserted that it refuses to accept name changes that are subject to copyright or trademark. "We have a duty to ensure the reputation of the UK passport is not called into question or disrepute," a spokesperson told the BBC.